The Municipality of Drenovci is a local self-government unit that includes the settlements of Drenovci, Đurići, Posavski Podgajci, Račinovci, and Rajevo Selo. It is located in the western part of Srijem, in the southern part of Vukovar-Srijem County, within the so-called Spačva Basin. Its neighboring municipalities are Vrbanja and Gunja. Nearby lies the state border with Bosnia and Herzegovina (Gunja – Brčko District border crossing), and Serbia (the impassable Strošinci – Jamena border). The municipality has a population of 7,424, covers an area of 200.02 km², and is classified as an area of special state concern.
History
The villages of Drenovci, Podgajci, Rajevo Selo, Đurići, Račinovci, Gunja, Vrbanja, Soljani, and Strošinci are often referred to as being part of Cvelferija in local speech. The name originates from the time of the Military Frontier and derives from the Twelfth Company (German: zwölf = twelve), whose headquarters was in Drenovci. The administrative area of the Drenovci Company did not always include all these villages (some, like Strošinci and Račinovci, were at times part of the Petrovaradin Regiment), but in more recent times, the name Cvelferija is used to refer to these villages.
The history of this area prior to the Turkish occupation (16th century) is poorly researched and known, primarily due to the lack of relevant documents and their dispersal outside of Croatia. Nevertheless, we know about the existence of settlements and fortifications in this then swampy region along the Sava River, surrounded by dense forests.
The earliest traces of the present-day villages—or the sites where they now stand—date back to the Middle Neolithic, during which the Sopot culture developed in Slavonia, Baranja, and Syrmia. The people of the Sopot culture lived in above-ground wooden houses made from wooden posts and woven branches, coated with clay. Their economy was based on farming, livestock breeding, hunting, and fishing. So far, only one Sopot culture settlement is known in the Cvelferija area, near Račinovci.
Several Late Bronze Age sites have been recorded in the vicinity of Posavski Podgajci, Račinovci, and Gunja. Information about these sites mostly comes from incidental discoveries of individual artifacts.
The first mentions of today’s villages appear in the 14th and 15th centuries. In 1484, the Drenovci estate—which included the villages of Drenovci, Subotište, Damšinci, Dražinci, Veselinovci, Cerje, Latinovci, Strvac, Preloke, Šimonovci, Brod, Vojište, Zvizdan, and Pahovo—was recorded as the largest.
In the 14th century, the fortress of Alšan dominated the area. It was built by the Magyarized German noble family Gut-Keled, but due to their disloyalty to the king, it was confiscated and given to Ban Ivan of the Sent-Magoč family. Ban Ivan had three sons, the eldest of whom, Valantin, became bishop of Pécs in 1374, bringing Alšan under his jurisdiction. Due to the strong Bogomil influence, the bishop built a Franciscan monastery dedicated to St. Francis near Alšan, which also served as a parish, with the aim of curbing the spread of Bogomilism. The monastery’s mission was to strengthen Catholicism, even in neighboring Bosnia among the Bogomils and Orthodox Vlachs.
In a well-known list of Catholic parishes from 1333–1335, only the parish in Soljani is mentioned in this region, and by 1501, even that parish is no longer recorded.
The liberation of Slavonia from Turkish rule began in 1682 and was largely achieved by the Battle of Slankamen in 1691, with final liberation confirmed by the Treaty of Požarevac in 1718. As the Turks retreated south of the Sava, significant migrations occurred—people moved from Slavonia to Bosnia and from Bosnia to Slavonia. The first Croatian settlements in Posavina were established along the Sava River, where only a small native population remained, and later migrations expanded northward. The parish in Drenovci, which included all of today’s Cvelferija, began keeping parish registers in 1719. These records show the arrival of Croats from Bosnia into the Drenovci parish area. By comparing today’s surnames in Cvelferija with parish registers, it is relatively easy to identify the Bosnian villages from which people migrated to Croatian Posavina in the early 18th century.
Alongside these mutual migrations, Austria began establishing the Slavonian Military Frontier in 1701 as a defense corridor against the Ottomans. This process continued until 1750, when it assumed the form it would retain until the demilitarization of the Military Frontier in the second half of the 19th century. When the Caraffa Commission toured the future Military Frontier in 1698 and 1702 to prepare for its formation, they also visited Cvelferija, with Rajevo Selo being one of the stops.
At the beginning of the 18th century, the parish of Drenovci included the villages of Drenovci, Đurići, Gunja, Jamena, Račinovci, Rajevo Selo, Soljani, Strošinci, Vrbanja, and Podgajci. The parish was run by Franciscans. Early population data from these villages can be found in Brusztle’s records, which state that during a canonical visitation in 1729, the following numbers of inhabitants (numerus animarum) were recorded: Drenovci 420, Rajevo Selo 230, Podgajci 110, Račinovci 220, Gunja 250. Other villages are not mentioned. Because the Drenovci parish was too large, it became the center of the Drenovci deanery on August 16, 1811, and Ilija Vražić was appointed its first dean.
In 1769, the parish of Račinovci was established (its first priest was Ivan Šargović), with Gunja, Đurići, Jamena, and Strošinci as its branch churches. A canonical visitation also took place that year.
The first schools in the Cvelferija area appeared in the last quarter of the 18th century. A decree from 1764 mandated that a school be established in each village or at least in each company headquarters, and a teacher (Schulmeister) employed. Around 1770, a letter noted the need to establish a school in Račinovci. The school opened in 1779, and the following year a school was also established in Drenovci (1780). Both villages were then part of the Petrovaradin Regiment. Currently, there is no further information available about the operation of these two schools.
In 1825, the War Council issued an order for every municipality to establish a school, funded by the municipality. This effectively marked the beginning of compulsory education.
With the abolition of the Military Frontier in 1873, Drenovci and the surrounding settlements were incorporated into the Županja District, which was part of the Srijem County. As a result, a railway passed through Drenovci in 1886. A year later, the Firefighting Association was founded, and in 1907, the Croatian Reading Room in Drenovci began operating.
The 1920s were marked by increased activity and the founding of many associations. In 1919, the Society of Catholic Girls was established, with Eva Damjanović appointed as the first leader. In 1928, a football club was founded in Drenovci, followed by the establishment of the Križarsko bratstvo (Crusader Brotherhood) in 1934, organized by chaplain Šercer.
Geographical Position
The Municipality of Drenovci is situated in the eastern lowland part of the county, within the Spačva Basin area. The southwestern edge of this area is defined by the Sava River, and the eastern side by the Spačva forest complex. The terrain is flat, with land primarily used as either forest or agricultural land. The area is protected from the Sava’s high water levels by a defensive embankment. The municipality has a relatively favorable geo-transport position, as major national and international (road and rail) corridors pass close to its territory.
Relief
The primary relief characteristic of the Municipality of Drenovci is its flat terrain. From the slightly lower northern part of the municipality to the central part, where settlement elevations reach up to 85 meters above sea level, the land is low-lying with a high groundwater table, which in the past often led to flooding. As a result, settlements are located on so-called “ridges”—slightly elevated areas that offered some protection from high Sava water levels.
Waters
The area along the Sava River, which includes the settlements of Račinovci and Đurići and stretches south of Rajevo Selo, is hydrogeologically composed of alluvial deposits of gravel, sand, sandy clay, silt, and clay, mostly covered by clayey sandy marsh sediment and redeposited loess. Water has been one of the key factors in the development of this area, influencing settlement patterns, housing types, and local activities. The municipality is rich in numerous streams, canals, and ponds. The Sava River flows through the southern part, accompanied by waterways such as Obošnica, Teča, Konuša, Drenovača, Božula, Bistra, and many smaller ones. Groundwater is influenced by the Sava River and generally follows its flow pattern.
Climate
The climate of the area is mainly continental, characterized by the average annual amount and seasonal distribution of precipitation. The prevailing wind direction is from the northwest. Fog is most frequent between October and February, particularly in autumn and winter.
Cultural and Historical Heritage
The cultural and historical legacy is a significant starting point for further economic and cultural development. Within the municipality, no historical settlement cores have been officially protected so far. However, the parish church of St. Michael the Archangel in Drenovci is listed in the Register of Immovable Cultural Monuments.
Economy
Agriculture is the dominant economic activity, as arable and other cultivable lands cover nearly half of the municipality’s area (9,580 hectares). The municipality’s agriculture is characterized by crop farming, fruit growing, and vegetable production. In terms of livestock, the focus is on cattle, pig, and poultry farming. New industrial production is still too weak to drive significant economic growth, and traditional industries are gradually declining in terms of output and employment. Since the process of economic restructuring has only just begun, significant industrial development is expected in the future, which should reflect on the municipality, where there are currently no large industrial facilities. Craftsmanship has a long-standing tradition in the municipality, evolving in response to the needs of various economic sectors and the local population.